


The sacrifice of Freedom

by KyokoUchiha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Background Relationships, Bottom Lance (Voltron), Cage Fights, Inhuman Treatment, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Superpowers, Top Keith (Voltron), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-15 23:52:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14152098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyokoUchiha/pseuds/KyokoUchiha
Summary: 25 years ago kids with special abilities were born, which manifest at 12. They are called Espers.Society can’t accept them. Parents have to take theirs kids to the authorities and get them tested. If they are Espers they will be ranked. #1: the ability is weak and is not a threat to humans; #2: the ability can be used as a weapon and the Esper has to be monitored at all times, either it will be used as a weapon in the military or it will be brought to scientists who will experiment on it; #3 the ability is a threat to humankind and has to be eradicated immediately.Lance is non-registered, and a Rank 3. He has hidden his ability his entire life and only uses it to gain money and help his family, but when he’s spotted by Allura and pressured into helping find others like him and rescue them in the name of her organization, he has to use his ability openly.As a result he meets Keith, another Rank 3 Esper and property of the military. He's hot-tempered and a lone wolf, who does nothing but grate on Lance’s nerves. It is precisely why Lance feels drawn to him.





	The sacrifice of Freedom

Tonight his opponent is a 6,8 feet tall hulk of a man, build like a wardrobe, which in his case doesn’t look appealing. Compared to him Lance is slender, with a little amount of muscle mass on his arms–instead he prefers to have his legs in shape and luckily using legs is permitted in these fight events.

He prefers kicks over punches because of his daytime job. As a waiter he needs his hands to be in top shape. Luckily in cage fighting every kind of martial arts is permitted. Except for the face and loins every spot can be targeted. And it is required to conceal their identity with a mask. There a codenames and the prize money is paid right after the win. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen”, the anchorman starts, “tonight we have our ascending star the _Blue Gazelle_ fight against a newcomer the _Hulk._ ” He’s sitting in a booth, located on the second floor where he has a good overview of the fight. The cage is on the first floor, in the middle of the two-storied house, with the crowd standing in a circle around it. Most of them are men, but a few women are present too, mostly as company. 

Lance has to snort at the name of his opponent. He may look like a normal version of that comic superhero but Lance won't believe that he will be as strong. Doesn’t matter. Lance will win. He needs the money. 

He checks one last time if the blue mask–a Colombina–is securely covering the upper half of his face before he steps into the ring, fastening the gloves around his hands for protection. His opponent follows and they come to stand in the middle of the cage with only a feet distance between them. They face each other and Lance can see the lower part of his face morph into a sneering grin. That man thinks he’s got the match all sewn up. Oh how wrong he is. But Lance refrains from voicing his thoughts, instead he offers a coy smile. 

“Ready?”, asks the ref, standing outside of the cage, and when both fighters nod, he signals with a noise the start of the fight. 

The first move makes his opponent; with his right arm he attempts a hook, but Lance is able to dodge, which leaves his right side unprotected for the man to swing his left. Only inches separate his abdomen from the fist. But Lance isn’t called _Gazelle_ for nothing. He’s fast, rounding on his opponent and aiming a kick against his shoulder blades, successfully pushing the man out of balance. But that only gives him a few seconds before the man turns and is back onto him, grabbing his arm and punching him in the stomach. Lance wheezes from the impact, breath leaving his lungs. He ducks from another hook and retreats back into a corner. His abdomen is stinging, but he concentrates on watching the movement of his opponent. When he moves in Lance swirls for a round kick, which is blocked by a bulky arm, but it offers him the chance to swipe the man off his feet with another kick. 

As the man topples down Lance takes the chance to open a small section of his glove, revealing the skin of his palm. Then he pounces onto the man’s back during his move to stand up. As soon as the skin of his palm connects with a patch of skin he dives into the man’s mind. 

He sees faces of people, family, coworkers; more faces of women, most of them during an intimate moment; feelings of lust and greed for alcohol and sex; hatred for his job; but most of all the revulsion for Espers. He thinks low of them, thinks that they should all croak, that he wants to be one of the hunters that get the official permission to kill them. Sees him picturing the killing. 

Lance feels bile rise in his throat. Humans like him are dangerous, but not the worst. That man is one of many who won’t accept Espers, but can’t do anything about their dislike. Still he can be a danger for Lance if he finds out about his ability and report him to the authorities. Which he won’t, because Lance’s ability doesn’t leave any traces behind in their minds. If he’s careful.  

Therefore he pushes the memories towards the back and focuses on his immediate thoughts concerning the fight. Knowing what the man plans to do next is the key to his victory. And it only takes him a few more minutes to pin the man to the ground. He’s lying on his back with Lance’s legs pinning his head and torso down, while Lance holds one of his arms against his torso and pulls on the appendage. It is a painful move, and with the help of the muscle mass he built on his thighs the man surrenders after a minute. He can read his mind through the contact on the arm and knows when the man has enough. 

“Once again _Blue Gazelle_ is the winner!” The speaker announces and Lance lessens the hold and lets the man breathe. He still keeps skin contact because he wants to make sure that the man won’t think about the possibility of him cheating to win. Therefore he erases any thoughts which might lead to him thinking Lance is an Esper. Only then does he fully let go and stands up, leaving the cage right after to retrieve his belongings and going to the counter where he receives his prize money. 

In the background he hears calls and shouts, both positive and negative, but he doesn’t give a damn about the crowd. He’s only here for the money. 

“Great fight”, a voice approaches him from behind and Lance immediately recognizes it. It’s Mike, the operator of these fights. 

After receiving the cash and tucking it into an inside pocket of his jacket, he turns around, smile plastered on his face. “Thanks, it was fun. When is the next one?”

Mike pulls a cigarette out of his jacket, offering it out of habit which Lance declines, then he motions for Lance to follow him to the backdoor. They step out, immediately surrounded by the silence of the night. Before he replies he lights his cigarette and takes a drag. “I was thinking about a two on one. Would you be up for it?”

Lance blinks in surprise and ponders for a moment. Out of twenty fights he only lost five. Times he didn’t use his ability properly because of his fear of hurting his opponent. But now he’s got it under control, knows when he’s too deep, knows when he will leave traces behind. 

Mike watches him between taking drags, but Lance isn’t so sure if he’ll manage to win against two opponents at the same time. While diving into one mind, he’d be unprotected against the other. And he’s never tried to dive into two minds simultaneously. After some seconds passed and Mike has finished his cigarette–he’s a heavy smoker–he types something into his phone. “You’ll get double amount of prize money, if you win.”

And just like that Lance agrees, with a shake of hands. In three days the fight will be held. Mike wants to make some promotions first to get a bigger crowd and more stakes. 

After a few more words Lance heads back home. It’s 2am and he needs to be up in a few hours to make breakfast for his siblings. His mother has the morning shift thus it is his turn. 

When he’s far away enough from the house he pulls the hood of his jacket over his head and takes off his mask, stuffing it into his backpack. It’s a short walk to the subway station. Compared to the day when the stations are full of people, it is quiet at night and Lance can relax into a seat. The ride is about 15 minutes long. 

He always takes the seats in the back where nobody can snug up behind him. There was an incident at night when some punks started flirting and got too handsy, and Lance had to leave the subway early with them following him. Without the cameras, which are implanted in every wagon, it was easy to change their minds with the help of his ability. 

From the station it is a ten minute walk to his home, where he lives together with his mother and three siblings. Until not so long ago their abuela was also living with them, but recently her suffering from dementia got so bad that they had to commit her into a special institution for patients like her. There she’s monitored 24/7. 

All of his family members are sleeping soundly when he enters the house. He’s careful in his steps as he ascends the stairs and after using the bathroom and brushing his teeth, he silently slips into his room. Luckily his youngest brother Thiago is sleeping soundly when he casts off his clothes and climbs into his bed. 

Giving in to sleep is easy after exhausting his body. 

.

The next morning Lance wakes to the sound of his alarm ringing. It still takes a few more minutes and the second alarm to go off until he manages to leave the comfy and warm cocoon he has made of his blanket. “Thiago, wakey wakey”, he calls sleepily while pulling on some joggers and a sweater. On his way downstairs he nearly collides with his younger sister Dana, who’s on her way to the bathroom, cussing out her stupid clock and their youngest sister Lucy for changing the time. Usually Dana is the first to rise because of her morning practice for the cheerleader club. 

Lance rolls his eyes and moves down into the kitchen. First step is to get the coffee brewer working, then it’s making breakfast for his siblings. Today it’s toast and eggs for the two youngest and porridge with warm strawberries compote for Dana. Easy. 

While the porridge and compote are simmering on the stove, Lance gets the toast ready and sips from his coffee. A few minutes later Dana rushes into the kitchen. 

“Morning”, she greets and takes a bowl to fill it with her breakfast. “Thanks for making it.” 

Lance smiles as he prepares a mug of coffee for her. She drinks it sweet, with coconut blossom sugar. More healthy. “You’re welcome. I suppose you need to take an earlier train?” 

Dana nods with her mouth full of porridge. “Could you maybe accompany them to the station?”, she asks after swallowing and taking a sip of her coffee. “Oh and could you make me another one to go? Please.”

“Sure. My shift starts at 11 so I’ve got time. You’re eating in school today right? Mamá wanted to make dinner.” Lance informs as he cracks the eggs into the pan after buttering the toasts. 

“Noted”, Dana reassures. 

“I’ll go shopping right after bringing them to the station. You want something?” It’s the end of the month, which means paychecks. They end up having some money left for goodies. 

“How about a spiral vegetable slicer? You can make vegetable noodles with that.”

Lance cocks his head to the side, he remembers seeing something like that in a spot the last week. “Sure. I’m in for that.” 

Feet rumbling down the stairs annunciate the arrival of the last two siblings. Luciana and Thiago. Just in time for the eggs. He serves them both a plate and pours them each a glass of juice, ruffling fondly through their hair. 

“Hey, brother, you’re ruining my style”, Lucy complains and slaps his hand off her head. Lance snorts at the choice of words and shares a look with Dana. 

“She comes after you”, he remarks at which he gets an eye roll of his sister. 

“Can I get ketchup?”, Thiago asks. 

“Only a little”, Lance tells him and retrieves the bottle. 

“Thanks, big brother.” 

While Lance pours coffee into a to go cup, the two youngest eat and Dana goes back upstairs to brush her teeth. “Do you two want something special today? It’s the end of the month.”

“Root beer”, they both answer in a sing-song voice and Lance sighs in mock exasperation. 

“Fine. But only caffein free”, he agrees. 

When Dana comes back to get her mug, he wishes her a nice day and sits at the table and munches on the remaining porridge, enjoying a few more minutes until he has to bring his siblings  to school. 

.

“Do you have your lunch money?”, he asks as they wait for the subway to arrive. 

“Yes, big brother”, Thiago answers and Lucy nods in affirmation. 

“Good. And remember nothing sugary. You’ll ruin your appetite for later. Mamá will cook something nice”, he tells them. “Maybe I can get something as dessert from the restaurant.” At seeing the big smiles on their faces, he has to smile himself. “I can’t promise though.” 

When the subway stops in front of them, Lance bids his sibling goodbye and watches as they enter the wagon and take the seats at the window. They wave and Lance throws them a smile. 

On his way to the supermarket he thinks about Lucy’s birthday coming up in a few days. She’ll turn 12. On that day their mother has to take her to the authorities to get her tested. If she turns out to be an Esper like Lance, she’ll get registered. In the best case she’ll be ranked 1 and gets a collar. The worst she’ll be Rank 3, a threat to humankind and killed immediately. Lance shivers at that possible outcome. 

He vividly remembers his own twelfth birthday when his dad took him to the authorities. He was strapped to a metallic chair, some kind of remedy was injected into his vein which ascended his heart rate. Then he was given an electro shock, which should lead to him unleashing his ability. When nothing happened that doctor checked his heart rate and upon touching his wrist, Lance  started to use his ability. He still remembers how it felt to dive into that doctor’s mind, how powerful it felt to be able to manipulate it to his liking. Out of pure luck he managed to erase his memories and implant the thought that his result came out negative. That he was a normal human. He was dismissed and was taken home by his dad. At home his mamá pulled him into a hug, tears spilling from her eyes. In her mind he could see how glad she was that he wasn’t an Esper. Could see the fear for her other children potentially turning out abnormal. He never told them about his ability.  

A shudder crawls over his spine at the possibility of losing Lucy. Kind, mischievous, cheerful Lucy. 

But he’s not allowed to accompany them. He can’t help her if it turns out the worst. 

And he still doesn’t know what he should get her as a gift. 

Since the discovery of Espers the celebration of the twelfth birthday has moved to the following day, because celebrating a day on which it is possible to die is not an option. 

Lance was lucky to be able to celebrate his birthday. An ability like his can’t be less than a Rank 3. 

Entering the supermarket at this time of the day is an easy task, within half an hour he’s got everything he needs. Including the slicer and root beer for his siblings.

Back at home Lance stores away the things he bought and makes himself a second plate with breakfast before he sits down in the living room and turns on the tv. 

There are some new reports about non-registered Espers, which were caught or killed; some information about a new foundation in favor of Espers, at which Lance rolls his eyes, because they can’t really help them. He’s read enough articles about foundations which are gone broke because they didn’t have enough supporters. They’ll only make it worse for the Espers. Getting jobs which pay enough money as a registered Esper is hard enough. 

His friend Hunk is a Rank 1 and he works in his parents’ restaurant. Before Hunk was employed they had more customers, which is a shame because Hunk is a very good cook. If his family had more money he’d eat at their restaurant more often.  

But with his abuela in the hospital they don’t have much money left to eat out. With his job as a waiter in a restaurant he doesn’t earn enough money, hence the occasional cage fights. His family doesn’t know about that and his mother doesn’t ask about the additional money he stores in their secret stash or the bruises on his body. She always treats him warmly. 

His greatest fear is that the authorities will somehow find out about him and if that happens he doesn’t know how his family will survive that. 


End file.
